Emsworth tearoom and bar battles it out to win World Cup of Stations 2024

• Vintage café and speakeasy goes head-to-head with station businesses across UK
• Public poll all day on Monday 14 October
• Cast your vote at www.raildeliverygroup.com/Worl...

Queenie’s Vintage Tearoom and Bar on Platform 2 of Emsworth station in Hampshire is vying to be voted Britain’s best railway station business.

The World Cup of Stations is organised by the Rail Delivery Group on behalf of train companies, and celebrates the importance of rail and its role in supporting communities, businesses and the economy.

With 48 stations fighting for the title, this year’s focus is on the businesses that make stations vital community hubs, driving local economies.

Queenies does just that, offering passengers a nostalgic ambience with a selection of freshly made deep-filled sandwiches, loaded waffles, and a variety of sweet treats. And on Friday nights it becomes a speakeasy!

Owner Queenie Butler-Hoskins said: "I feel really proud to be selected and I’m very excited. It’s so nice to think people love us so much.”

Havant MP Alan Mak is urging locals to lend their support. He said: “Queenie’s Vintage Tearoom is a real step back in time and has proved to be very popular with rail users and local residents.

“I'm delighted that Emsworth Railway Station has been shortlisted in the World Cup of Stations and that a successful local business is being highlighted in this national initiative.

“I urge people to vote for Emsworth - let's make it officially the best station in the country!”

Voting for Queenies is initially on 14 October at raildeliverygroup.com/WorldCupOfStations. If the station makes it through this first round, then there will be a semi-final on 17 October and a final on 18 October, with the winner being announced on 21 October.

Jenny Saunders, Customer Services Director at Govia Thameslink Railway, said: “Our station businesses are part of us and the communities we serve. We wish everyone of them shortlisted for this exciting contest all the very best!”

Jacqueline Starr, Chief Executive Officer of Rail Delivery Group, said: “Local businesses in stations up and down the country are proving to be at the very heart of the communities they serve, and we want to shine a light on the very best stations in England, Scotland and Wales.

“All of the stations nominated are making a positive impact on their local community, and the variety of businesses at stations is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the staff, as well as the importance placed on supporting local businesses.”

Martin McTague, National Chair at the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “Railway stations up and down the country are home to a huge range of small firms, serving their local community, regular commuters and day trippers on a daily basis. These businesses contribute such a lot to our local economies and are a great source of employment.

“Not only do railway stations house an array of businesses, they are vital for providing visitors with easy access to local high streets, upping footfall and fostering trade. This competition is a great way to shine a light on the excellent and varied small firms based in and around transport hubs across the UK, showcasing the products and services they have to offer.”

The contest begins as a new report from WPI Economics finds that train passengers in the South East of England spend on average £35 in towns and cities from which they depart and £8 per journey on local independent businesses inside stations. A total of 70% of people agree that having a train station helps their local economy thrive (see Notes to editors).

ENDS

Notes to editors

The new report from WPI Economics, commissioned by Rail Delivery Group, found that travelling by rail contributes over £9bn each year to independent businesses and in the region of £23bn to high streets across the country.

The overwhelming majority of people (70%) say that having a train station helps their local businesses thrive.

Four in five passengers across the country support businesses in and around train stations and on local high streets when travelling by rail. That equates to an estimated 3.4m rail passengers shopping at local businesses each day.

The report also found that local high streets benefit more when people travel by rail than by other modes of transport, with rail passengers in the UK spending an average of £32 in the towns and cities they depart from.

Travelling by train also supports independent businesses: with people grabbing a coffee, getting a haircut, or purchasing a gift before they head out on their train journey, local businesses across the UK see an average of £7 spent by each rail passenger on every departure.

• Rail travel contributes up to £2.91bn each year to South East high streets.
• Rail travel contributes £1.17bn each year to independent businesses.
• Four in five passengers across the country support businesses in and around train stations and on local high streets prior to their journey or when they arrive at their destination. That equates to an estimated 329,000 rail passengers shopping at local businesses in South East each day.
• The report also found that rail passengers in the UK spend an average of £32 in towns and cities they depart from, with £35 being spent in the South East.
• Independent businesses across the UK see an average of £7 spent by each rail passenger every journey. In the South East, passengers spend on average £8.
• 47% of rail passengers in South East choose to support local high streets when they travel by rail.

Last year’s competition saw over 72,000 votes cast across 12 heats, with Wemyss Bay in Scotland taking the crown. This year, stations from all over the UK will compete, showcasing the best local businesses that make our train stations more than just places to catch a train.

The competition has been running since 2019. The previous winners are Wemyss Bay (2023) Stourbridge Junction (2021), Glasgow Queen Street (2020) and Huddersfield (2019).